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By Sherry and Barb Goffman who can’t keep up with what the heck the weather is up to in Northern Virginia!
Dynamic Duos are a part of fiction, not only in literary works but behind the scenes in the actual writing process. Today Barb Goffman and I are going to talk about the writing part of dynamic duos, and tomorrow on SleuthSayers we’re going to talk about some of our favorite fictional duos.
Sherry: The third book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries, All Murders Final!, comes out on April 26th, and frankly folks, without Barb’s editorial eye, this book would have been a mess. Here are a few of the comments she wrote on the manuscript.
1. I’ve finished reading your manuscript for All Murders Final and I can say you have definitely created another great story. I love it! (Whew, this is a good way to start out because I was afraid Barb was going to tell me to dump it and start over!)
2. You need some physical action here.
3. You have several references that I think are too old, too far in the past for Sarah. If she is 39, then she was born in 1976. Her impressionable teen years would have been roughly 1989 to 1995. I have some suggestion for references that would be more appropriate for her age. (Barb went on to give specific references.)
4. We need more reaction. What’s she concluding about all this?
I appreciate that Barb always work in some positive comments along with the critical ones. And the consultation has gone both ways. We’ve brained stormed stories you’ve written, Barb. How does this help your process?
Barb: Sometimes I’ll have a story idea, but I’ll see a problem in the plot that I can’t figure out how to fix. Getting an outside perspective is wonderful at those times. I might be so focused on the path I had in mind for the story that I can’t see the small change that could lead me down another path, one without the problem, and then take me to the end I had in mind. A writing detour, so to speak. This is one of the reasons it’s beneficial to have people to help with the writing process, be they members of a critique group or just a good friend whose judgment you trust, like with the two of us.
I think you went through a similar experience while writing All Murders Final. Can you share?
Sherry: I’ve had a lot of trouble with the very end of All Murders Final, and we talked about it probably ad nauseam. I wrote and re-wrote it a number of times. At the time I wrote it I didn’t know if Kensington was going to extend my contract or not. So I had to come up with an ending that was satisfying if it was the last in the series but I also had to leave a door open in case it wasn’t. (I’m so happy it’s not—I’m now under contract to write books four and five in the series.) And as you well know, I’ve been questioning the ending for book four, A Good Day to Buy. We’ve done a lot of talking about it too! A Lot!
Dynamic Duos are great in real life, but they also exist in fiction. I’ve read a lot of your stories but not all of them. Do you use sidekicks? And if so why?
Barb: In my unpublished novel, Call Girl, my main character, Caren, has a best friend, Elaine, who essentially is her sidekick. Elaine serves as a sounding board and they get into shenanigans together. (Yes, Sherry, eventually the novel will be ready to go and I’ll send it out into the world, looking for a publisher. But not today. Ahh, this is another good use of a sidekick in real life; they nag you to work on your outstanding projects.)
Turning to my short stories, I haven’t used sidekicks a lot. Sidekicks often serve as a sounding board for characters—allowing a sleuth to think through problems. My characters often commit crime, so they don’t want to share their thoughts with anyone.
That said, I do have two stories with sidekicks. In “The Contest,” reporter Susan is competing to get the one full-time job opening at the newspaper where she’s interning this summer. The decision of who’ll be hired is based on which intern helps increase circulation the most. Susan’s roommate, Amanda, comes up with lots of interesting ideas to help her win, including knocking over a convenience store—as she points out, crime sells newspapers. In this case, Amanda wasn’t just a sounding board, but she provided humor to the story.
My second story with a sidekick is a bit unusual. My main character is Job (yes, the Job, from the Bible), and his sidekick is … God. Yes, God, who sends Job back to earth to investigate a murder. God already knows who did it, but he wants Job to find the murderer and help him/her admit the crime and repent. And because God likes making Job suffer, Job isn’t told in advance who the murderer is. Throughout the story, Job realizes that God is having fun with him, and Job sends several sarcastic thoughts back God’s way. So while there’s not a lot of back and forth between the characters via dialogue as you’d have with
a typical sidekick, Job talks to God in his mind throughout the story, allowing for humor. It may sound odd, but it works. In fact, the story won the 2013 Macavity Award for best short story of the year.
Both “The Contest” and “The Lord is my Shamus” can be found in my short-story collection, Don’t Get Mad, Get Even. But enough about me. Sherry, in your books, Sarah has two friends who serve as her partner but they both play very different roles. Can you talk a little about Stella and Carol?
Sherry: The Lord is my Shamus is one of my favorite short stories! I can’t believe you brought up Call Girl because I haven’t nagged you about it in a couple of weeks. I’m putting it back on my to-do list. As for Stella and Carol — let’s talk about them tomorrow.
Readers: Do you have someone who is your go to person when you need help? Is it different people for different things?
It’s usually my better half that is my problem solver.
A smart better half is an excellent thing to have!
What a fun post! My best friend lives an hour away and I don’t see her as often as I’d like. Of course all the Wickeds act as a sounding board for writing-related questions and problems.
I’d be lost without the Wickeds! I’m lucky to have so many great people in my life who support and advise me!
My husband started out as in-house law enforcement expert, and wasn’t much interested in reading my romances or my non-mystery historicals, but for mystery he’s beta reader and trouble spot spotter and now that he’s writing mystery short stories, I can finally return the favor. He has a good eye for things that aren’t working and sticks to his guns no matter how much I argue. And, darn him, he’s almost always right!
What a great partnership! My husband answers my military questions but gets frustrated when I boil a lengthy answer down to two sentences.
My man doesn’t even read fiction and hasn’t read a word of anything I’ve written. But he’s so supportive in other ways I don’t care!
My husband has never read a single thing I have written except for maybe when I sign my name to his birthday card!
My nonexistent husband has never read anything I’ve written, and I’m furious with him!
Laughing! That guy is a pain…
You two are a dynamic duo, that’s all I can say!
I think we need capes!
Capes! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TO6CDLA/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687602&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00DH1T1H2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01ZWN43TG2EW70MZC7GC
Awww. The link didn’t turn into a picture. Click through, though. Capes!
Capes are back in style (I can tell you having looked at too much mother-of-the-bride wear.)
🙂
My critique group, which includes Annette Dashofy. I’d be lost without them.
That is a wonderful support group!
Barb, your comments sounds bang on–helpful without hurting. And I’ve read Sherry’s book–who knew that selling second-hand items could be so exciting?
I know an Irish policeman I can talk to about details in Irish law enforcement (no way I could make that up!), and I’ve actually asked Norm Abram of This Old House about adding plumbing to an earlier house (and he told me a story about finding a staircase in an old building that nobody knew was there–I may use that someday). But there’s no one steady person I turn to–but the Internet is my friend. However, the Internet is not going to tell me if my plot makes sense or my characters are believable. So there are the Wickeds and the Guppies and more.
The Irish policeman is a fantastic source! And Norm Abram? Wow — I love the hidden staircase story. The Internet does make our research lives easier!
I want a hidden staircase in my house. Oh heck, I’ll take a secret room, too.
I’m a sucker for secret rooms. My uncle’s house had a closet hidden behind a bookcase.
I wish! I do have a mystery cistern hidden behind my bedroom wall (I suppose you could hide a person there, or a body, although that might get kind of ripe after not too long).
Too cool!
I can often tell when an author goes it alone vs. when an author gets feedback from others. That outside perspective is so important.
I found this discussion great. So glad you two have each other to spur you on to better writing. And get that novel finished, Barb.
Thanks, Mark! And oh, yay! Someone else to nag Barb!
Arg. More nagging! 😉
I am also happy to provide nagging services. Get that novel done, Barb!
Miss you guys!
We miss you too!
I second that. We miss you lots. (No more nagging!)
I love this post! I’m rooting for the capes! I feel really lucky that my husband is spectacular at diagnosing plot holes and inconsistencies. Even though he’s been my first reader for the last eight years we’ve managed to stay happily married.Truly, I am blessed!
We should all wear capes to Malice Domestic. Kidding. Sort of.
I have several I could bring! Although they aren’t really suited for spring weather since they are winter woolens instead of superhero accessories.
Then we’d be hot Superheros. Not that we’re not hot already …
It’s so awesome that you can work with your husband. Bob gives me ideas or doesn’t as the case may be but finding plot holes is now his forte!
Sherry and Barb, I’m glad you dreamt this up. What fun!
Thanks, Leigh! Glad you liked the post.
Great post, sorry I am late to the party. My friend Jason is my first reader, and on my team. Sherry is also on the team, and all of the Wickeds are amazingly helpful support. Barb, your editor eye is legendary. Can’t wait to read part 2!
🙂